Air sterilization and disinfection apparatus and method

ABSTRACT

An apparatus ( 100  and/or  200 ) and corresponding method ( 500 ) for air sterilization and disinfection can include an electronics and control module ( 110  and/or  210 ), a means for drawing air from the surrounding environment into the apparatus ( 120  and/or  220 ), an air management chamber ( 130  and/or  230 ), and a housing ( 170  and/or  270 ). The means for drawing air from the surrounding environment into the apparatus ( 120  and/or  220 ) mobilizes latent pathogens in the environment and draws them into the apparatus ( 100  and/or  200 ) for sterilization and disinfection. The air management chamber ( 130  and/or  230 ) provides for exposure of the airborne pathogens to UV radiation, via UV LEDs ( 150  and/or  250 ), with a dosage sufficient to penetrate the cell walls and destroy the pathogens. The electronics and control module ( 110  and/or  210 ) powers the apparatus ( 100  and/or  200 ) and interfaces with the electronic components. The housing ( 170 ) forms the outer shell of the apparatus ( 100 ).

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 61/676,407, filed on Jul. 27, 2012, which isincorporated herein by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to air sterilization and disinfection,and more particularly to an apparatus and a method for sterilizing anddisinfecting air in a hospital or hospital-like environment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There is a growing demand for improvements in hospital settings toreduce the transmission of pathogens. This demand is driven by hospitalsthat have to deal with an increasing amount of cases of infections, notcaused by the patient's diagnosis upon admission, but rather, due toairborne pathogens that exist in a hospital environment. These airbornepathogens pose additional health risks to patients and result inadditional costs to the hospital. There are currently two approaches toreducing in-hospital transmitted contamination. The first involvesdecontamination of hospital room surfaces between occupancies. This canbe accomplished by irradiating the room and all of its surfaces withhigh-level ultra-violet (UV) radiation or by spraying the room withhydrogen peroxide mist. The room must be unoccupied and isolated and ifanyone wishes to enter the room during this process, significantprotective equipment must be worn. Secondly, treatment of room air is anissue. A variety of units utilizing UV or HEPA type filtering or acombination of the two are currently available. There are also UV unitswith powerful fans that can be used to create positive or negativepressurized areas. For the area being treated, some installation of UVlighting inside ventilation ducting is also used.

Devices produced with traditional technologies have been large,difficult to locate optimally, and their performance degradessubstantially with time. Currently available compact systems do notprovide adequate airflow and/or pathogen kill rate. Conversely, moreeffective devices are currently large and difficult to maintain.Conventional UV-based systems use fluorescent tube elements. To produceadequate intensity, several tubes are often grouped together. Thegeometry of the tubes and their limited output per tube produces a bulkyand cumbersome apparatus. The UV output of the tubes decays with timedue to deterioration and with external factors such as dust settling onthe tubes. Maintenance and replacement of the UV tubes is a laboriousprocess. The size required by these units consumes critical space, whichis crucial in a hospital environment. Because of their size, they cannotbe located in the optimum locations to maximize their benefit. Typicalunits have three to four square foot cross sections and can be six feetin length and weigh about 100 pounds.

It would be desirable to have an apparatus that reduces or removesairborne pathogens, which can be used while the room is still occupied.Furthermore, it would also be desirable to have an apparatus that isportable and unobtrusive while producing a sufficiently high flow rateto be effective. Still further, it would be desirable to have anapparatus whose performance does not significantly degrade over time andis easy to maintain. Therefore, there currently exists a need in theindustry for an apparatus and associated method that is compact,portable, and highly effective in reducing or removing airbornepathogens.

Currently there are a number of solutions for air purification in ahospital (or hospital-like) environment. Some of these solutions attemptto purify air by utilizing UV fluorescent tubes, but these solutionsfail to meet the needs of the industry because they are large,cumbersome, and difficult to maintain. Unlike existing UV disinfectiondevices available on the market today, the present invention uses UVLight-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) as opposed to fluorescent tubes. LEDs aresolid state devices that enjoy many advantages over fluorescent tubes.LEDs are more robust and perform better under adverse environmentalconditions such as shock and vibration. LEDs do not require highvoltage, so they are safer to troubleshoot and repair. They do notsuffer glass breakage and their disposal does not constitute hazardouswaste.

Other solutions attempt to utilize UV LEDs, but these solutions aresimilarly unable to meet the needs of the industry because they areunable to modulate the airflow in such a way as to provide the necessaryUV radiation dosage to adequately kill the pathogens. Unlike existingsolutions attempting to utilize UV LEDs, the present invention combinesthe irradiance field created by the UV LEDs with a modulated airflow inorder to provide the necessary UV dosage to adequately kill the airbornepathogens.

The UV spectrum is divided into portions by wavelength. UVB and UVCradiation represents that portion of the spectrum that is capable ofdamaging biological organisms. High energy UVC photons are those withwavelengths shorter than 290 nm and are capable of traversing cellularwalls. UVC radiation is used as a germicidal in order to kill airbornepathogens. UVB radiation is characterized by wavelengths between 290 and320 nm and is also damaging to biological organisms. In order to killpathogens, the UV radiation needs to be of a wavelength that cantraverse the cellular walls. Studies have shown that the effectivewavelengths for killing pathogens, such as bacteria, are in the 200 to320 nm range. Still other studies indicate that wavelengths between 240and 280 nm are most effective in killing a broad range of pathogens,with peak effectivity around 260 to 270 nm. The intensity or “flux” ofthe UV radiation is an important consideration in evaluating the effectsof the UV radiation at the pathogenic level. The “UV radiation fluxdensity” is related to the amount of radiation at the specifiedwavelength that reaches the surface of the pathogens. This UV radiationflux is also referred to as the “UV irradiance”. In the interaction ofradiant energy with biological organisms, both wavelength andirradiance, or radiation flux, must be considered. The “UV dosage”required to effectively kill airborne pathogens is derived from acombination of UV wavelength, radiation flux, and time of exposure. The“dwell” or “residence” time is defined as the amount of time that theairborne pathogens remain exposed to the UV radiation field and areirradiated by the UV LEDs. The desired pathogen kill rate can then beoptimized by properly balancing the UV LED wavelength, radiation flux,and dwell time.

Information relevant to attempts to address the problems found in thecurrent state of the art, as described above, can be found in U.S. Pat.Nos. 6,797,044, 7,175,814, 6,053,968, 6,939,397, and 5,505,904, as wellas U.S. Patent Application Nos. 20110033346, 201000132715, 20070196235,20100260644, and 20050242013. However, each one of these referencessuffers from one or more of the following disadvantages: it is large orbulky; it uses fluorescent tubes; it employs a low dwell time; itachieves a low air flow rate; it does not adequately balance UVwavelength, radiation flux, and dwell time for an effective pathogenkill rate.

The present invention is unique when compared with other known devicesand methods because the present invention provides: (1) a compactfootprint; (2) effective pathogen removal; and (3) ease of maintenance.

The present invention is unique in that it is structurally differentfrom other known devices or solutions. More specifically, the presentinvention is unique due to the presence of: (1) an air managementchamber comprising a single or a plurality of reaction tubes; (2) UVLEDs embedded in the walls of the reaction tubes; and (3) specifiedareas of turbulent flow within the reaction tubes that increase theexposure to the UV radiation without sacrificing the air flow ratethrough the air management chamber.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method associatedwith the apparatus. With respect to the apparatus, it is a compact,highly effective air sterilization and disinfection apparatus, whichdelivers clean, pure air right where it is needed. The apparatuscombines wavelength-specific, high-output UV LEDs with an airflowmanagement chamber that facilitates the necessary UV dosage byincreasing the dwell time of the airflow being treated. This apparatuscan be used in hospitals, clinics, operating rooms, and otherenvironments where it is desired to reduce or eliminate airbornepathogens. The compact, quiet, and unobtrusive nature of this apparatusmakes it particularly well suited for use in hospital environments.

Generally, the apparatus comprises an electronics and control module, ameans of drawing room air into the apparatus, an air management chamberwith one or more reaction tubes, an array of wavelength-specific,high-output UV LEDs, and a housing, which, generally speaking, areconfigured as follows: the electronics and control module is connectedto, but preferably not in the path of the air flow; a means of drawingroom air into the apparatus is located at the apparatus inlet and forcesair into the inlet of the air management chamber and one or morereaction tubes; an array of UV LEDs is located within the air managementchamber, coupled to the reaction tubes in a manner that maximizescontact with the airflow; and a housing covers the entire apparatus.

With respect to the apparatus it should be further noted that theselection of the wavelength of the UV LEDs as well as the design of theair management chamber and reaction tubes is critical in order to managethe level and duration of UV light dosage in order to effectivelysanitize the room air without compromising the desired airflow rate.

Generally, the steps to carry out the method associated with theapparatus are comprised of:

Drawing room air into the airflow management chamber at a rate ofbetween 180 to 300 cu. Ft./min;

Exposing the air to UV radiation at a wavelength known to traverse thecellular walls;

Creating a turbulent flow within the air management chamber such thatairborne pathogens are exposed to the UV radiation for a specifiedamount of time in order to achieve the desired kill rate; and

Expelling the sanitized air back into the surrounding environment.

In an embodiment of the present invention, an air sterilization anddisinfection apparatus can include the following components: anelectronics and control module; a fan; an air management chamber with aninlet and an outlet; UV LEDs; and a housing. The electronics and controlmodule regulates the electrical power input into the apparatus anddrives the fan and UV LEDs. The electronics and control module shalloperate with conventionally available power supplies and contain acircuit breaker. The fan shall be selected such as to provide thedesired airflow rate. The fan shall be quiet and compact and have a dustparticulate filter at the input. The fan module shall provide enoughconvective air exchange to mobilize latent pathogens and thereby promoteeffective cleaning. A flow rate within the range of 180 to 300 cu Ft/minwill provide effective cleaning of a typical hospital room. The airmanagement chamber is the key component in the design of the apparatus.The air management chamber is comprised of one or more reaction tubes.Each reaction tube is designed to sustain a specific volumetricthroughput. The reaction tube further locates the UV LEDs in order toachieve the desired UV radiation flux density throughout the flow area.The UV LEDs are affixed to the reaction tube such that they do notimpede the airflow required yet permit any necessary wiring and cooling.The reaction tube is further designed such as to modulate the airflowwithin the tube in order to achieve the desired dwell time by creating aturbulent flow, characterized as a flow having a Reynolds Number aboveapproximately 4000. The dwell time is defined as the amount of time thatthe airborne pathogens remain exposed to the UV radiation field and areirradiated by the UV LEDs. A dwell time of greater than one second isdesired. The reaction tube and air management chamber are designed suchas to prevent the escape of any UV radiation. The materials for thereaction tube are chosen such as to maximize the UV reflectivity of theinternal surfaces in order to maintain the highest possible radiantflux. UV LEDs are chosen for this apparatus because of their size,power, and long life. The UV LEDs are selected based upon the desiredwavelength and power rating. The number and distribution of these UVLEDs in the reaction tubes are to be such as to maximize the radiantflux within each tube. The housing protects the user from exposure tothe internal components as well as any UV radiation and has an inletopening coupled to the airflow input to the air management chamber andan outlet opening coupled to the airflow output from the air managementchamber.

These components are mechanically connected and arranged such that thefan is located at the inlet of the air management chamber, the UV LEDsare located within the air management chamber, and the electronics andcontrol module is located outside of the air flow path. The housingencases the individual components.

The method associated with this embodiment of the apparatus is comprisedof the following steps:

Creating enough convective air exchange to mobilize latent pathogens andthereby promote effective cleaning;

Forcing the air with the pathogens into the air management chamber;

Exposing the air with the pathogens in the air management chamber to UVradiation with a dosage such that the UV wavelength can traverse thecellular walls of the pathogens and with a dwell time sufficient toachieve the desired pathogen kill rate; and

Expelling the sanitized air back into the surrounding environment.

In another embodiment of the present invention, an air sterilization anddisinfection apparatus may also have one or more of the following: a UVdetector to monitor the irradiance levels in the air management chamber;a light, display, or other visual indicator to indicate to the user thatthe apparatus is working; a supplemental filter at the outlet of the airmanagement chamber; a supplemental filter that is a HEPA filter; asupplemental filter that is a material that is treated with a silver ionand citric acid suspension or other metal ion compounds; an airmanagement chamber with a plurality of reaction tubes; a manifold todirect the air flow from a single fan into a plurality of reactiontubes; an array of fans where a single fan directs air flow into asingle reaction tube; a reaction tube where the turbulent flow iscreated using a single or multiple reverse steps, or areas of suddenexpansion, where the tube diameter increases abruptly from one sectionof the airflow to the next; a reaction tube where the turbulent flow iscreated using a single or a plurality of v-gutters; a single or aplurality of copper or copper alloy structures within a reaction tube inorder to have the airflow come into contact with the copper or copperalloy, which are naturally antimicrobial; a reaction tube where thedwell time is increased by means of a circular or spiral airflow path; aUV LED array that is mounted on rigid circuit boards; a UV LED arraythat is mounted on flexible circuit boards; a plurality of UV LEDsmounted in a staggered pattern in the reaction tube in order to optimizethe radiant flux density within the reaction tube; an array of UV LEDsof different wavelengths in order to kill different pathogens that maynot share the same cell wall UV transmissivity characteristics.

Similarly, the method associated with this embodiment of the presentinvention may also comprise one or more of the following steps:

Removing additional pathogens by passing the air through a HEPA filter;or also

Removing additional pathogens by passing the air through a material thathas been treated with a silver ion and citric acid suspension; or also

Exposing the airflow within the air management chamber to copper orcopper alloy structures; or also

Monitoring the irradiance levels in the air management chamber; or also

Providing a visual indication to the user that the apparatus is working.

In yet another embodiment of the present invention, an air sterilizationand disinfection apparatus is comprised of the following components: anelectronics and control module; a plurality of fans; an air managementchamber with a plurality of reaction tubes; said reaction tubes having aplurality of areas of sudden expansion, thereby creating a turbulentflow along the interior walls of the reaction tube, said turbulent flowcharacterized by a Reynolds Number above approximately 4000 and a dwelltime of greater than one second; said reaction tubes also having anarray of UV LEDs mounted within the tube walls such as to maximize theradiant flux within the tube without obstructing the air flow; saidarray comprising UV LEDs of wavelengths less than 320 nm; a UV sensormounted in each reaction tube in order to monitor the irradiance levelin each tube; an externally visible indicator to tell the user that theapparatus is working; a plurality of v-gutters; a plurality of copper orcopper alloy structures; a HEPA filter; a silver ion and citric acidinfused filter material; and an external housing.

These components are related as follows: the electronics and controlmodule is mounted to the housing outside of the airflow path; the fansare electrically connected to the electronics and control module andforce air into the air management chamber; the air management chamber iscomprised of reaction tubes, that are coupled to the fans in order toreceive the airflow without loss or leaks; the UV LED arrays areelectrically connected to the electronics and control module and arefixedly attached to mated openings in the walls of the reaction tubesuch that the UV LED array circuit boards are outside of the reactiontube and the UV LEDs irradiate inside the reaction tube; the UV detectoris electrically connected to the electronics and control module andfixedly attached to a mated opening in the wall of the reaction tubesuch that the detector can monitor irradiance levels inside of thereaction tube; the v-gutters are mechanically attached inside thereaction tube; the supplemental HEPA and silver ion plus citric acidfilters are located at the outlet of the air management chamber air flowpath; and the housing encloses the entire apparatus. It should furtherbe noted that: the reaction tubes can be made out of various materials,however, polished aluminum is lightweight, inexpensive, and is UVreflective thereby promoting adequate UV flux density within thereaction tube; the v-gutters may be made of polished aluminum, copper,or copper alloy; the reaction tubes and UV LED arrays are assembled suchthat the UV radiation is contained completely within the reaction tube;and the supplemental filters are mounted such as to be easilyreplaceable by the user.

The method associated with an embodiment of the apparatus is comprisedof the following steps:

Drawing ambient air through a preliminary particulate filter into an airmanagement chamber with enough convective air exchange to mobilizelatent pathogens;

Directing the air flow into a plurality of reaction tubes within the airmanagement chamber;

Exposing the air flow to UV radiation;

Reflecting the UV radiation within the reaction tubes;

Increasing the exposure time of the air to the UV radiation by creatinga turbulent flow characterized by a Reynolds Number above approximately4000;

Exposing the air flow to UV radiation for greater than one second;

Monitoring the UV levels in the air management chamber;

Determining if the irradiance level in the air management chamber isadequate for the desired pathogen kill rate;

Indicating to the user that the apparatus is or is not working;

Exposing the air flow to copper or copper alloy surfaces;

Directing the airflow through a HEPA filter;

Directing the airflow through a silver ion plus citric acid infusedmaterial; and

Expelling clean, sanitized air back into the surrounding environment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the presentinvention will become better understood with regard to the followingdescription, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an air sterilization and disinfectiondevice in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a sectional perspective view of the device of FIG. 1 inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 shows a front sectional view of the device of FIG. 1 inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 shows multiple views of an air sterilization and disinfectiondevice in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 shows a flow chart illustrating a method for air sterilizationand disinfection device in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the Summary of the Invention above and in the Detailed Description ofthe Drawings, and the claims below, and in the accompanying drawings,reference is made to particular features (including method steps) of theinvention. It is to be understood that the disclosure of the inventionin this specification includes all possible combinations of suchparticular features. For example, where a particular feature isdisclosed in the context of a particular aspect or embodiment of theinvention, or a particular claim, that feature can also be used, to theextent possible, in combination with and/or in the context of otherparticular aspects and embodiments of the invention, and in theinvention generally.

The term “comprises” and grammatical equivalents thereof are used hereinto mean that other components, ingredients, steps, etc. are optionallypresent. For example, an article “comprising” (or “which comprises”)components A, B, and C can consist of (i.e., contain only) components A,B, and C, or can contain not only components A, B, and C but also one ormore other components.

Where reference is made herein to a method comprising two or moredefined steps, the defined steps can be carried out in any order orsimultaneously (except where the context excludes that possibility), andthe method can include one or more other steps which are carried outbefore any of the defined steps, between two of the defined steps, orafter all the defined steps (except where the context excludes thatpossibility).

The term “at least” followed by a number is used herein to denote thestart of a range beginning with that number (which may be a range havingan upper limit or no upper limit, depending on the variable beingdefined). For example “at least 1” means 1 or more than 1. The term “atmost” followed by a number is used herein to denote the end of a rangeending with that number (which may be a range having 1 or 0 as its lowerlimit, or a range having no lower limit, depending upon the variablebeing defined). For example, “at most 4” means 4 or less than 4, and “atmost 40%” means 40% or less than 40%. When, in this specification, arange is given as “(a first number) to (a second number)” or “(a firstnumber)-(a second number),” this means a range whose lower limit is thefirst number and whose upper limit is the second number. For example, 25to 100 mm means a range whose lower limit is 25 mm, and whose upperlimit is 100 mm.

While the specification concludes with claims defining the features ofembodiments of the invention that are regarded as novel, it is believedthat the invention will be better understood from a consideration of thefollowing description in conjunction with the figures, in which likereference numerals are carried forward.

One embodiment, in the form of an air sterilization and disinfectionapparatus 100 as shown in FIGS. 1-4, can comprise: an electronics andcontrol module 110; a fan 120; an air management chamber 130; and ahousing 170.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, in this embodiment the electronics andcontrol module 110 regulates the electrical power input into theapparatus 100. The electronics and control module 110 operates withconventionally available power sources and comprises a circuit breakermeans, a processor means, and a voltage regulator means. The electronicsand control module 110 is located generally within the housing 170 butoutside the path of the airflow through the air management chamber 130.The electronics and control module 110 may also optionally be locatedoutside of the housing 170, or in its own housing, and be electricallycoupled with the apparatus. The fan 120 shall be selected such as toprovide an airflow rate within the range of 180 to 300 cu Ft/min. Thefan 120 is electrically coupled to the electronics and control module110.

Referring to FIG. 3, the fan 120 shall be quiet and compact and have adust particulate filter means 125 at the fan input 121. The fan output123 is coupled to the air management chamber input 131 using an airtightsealing means such as to prevent air leaks. The air management chamber130 is comprised of one or more reaction tubes 140. Each reaction tube140 has an inlet 141 coupled to the inlet 131 of the air managementchamber 130 using an airtight sealing means, and an outlet 143 coupledto the outlet 133 of the air management chamber 130. The reaction tube140 further locates the UV LEDs 150 in order to achieve the desired UVradiation flux density throughout the area of turbulent flow 160. The UVLEDs 150 are affixed to the reaction tube 140 via mated openings 147distributed along the wall of the reaction tube 140, the mated openings147 traversing from the external surface 149 to the internal surface 145of the reaction tube 140, such that the UV LEDs 150 do not impede theairflow required yet permit any necessary wiring and cooling. Thereaction tube 140 is further designed such as to modulate the airflowwithin the tube in order to achieve the desired dwell time by creatingan area of turbulent flow 160. The reaction tubes 140 and air managementchamber 130 comprise such sealing means as to prevent the escape of anyUV radiation. The materials for the reaction tube 140 are chosen such asto maximize the UV reflectivity of the internal surfaces 145 in order tomaintain the highest possible radiant flux. An embodiment of theapparatus may include a reaction tube 140 where the internal surface 145is polished aluminum. The reaction tubes 140 may also comprise one or aplurality of v-gutters 180 located in the path of the airflow andfixedly attached to the reaction tube 140. The v-gutters 180 may be madeof a UV reflective material such as polished aluminum, or a naturallygermicidal material such as copper or copper alloy.

An embodiment of an air sterilization and disinfection apparatus asshown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, may also comprise a HEPA filter 190 locatedin the path of the airflow coupled to the outlet 143 of the reactiontube 140.

An embodiment of an air sterilization and disinfection apparatus asshown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, may also comprise a silver ion plus citricacid infused filter 190 located in the path of the airflow coupled tothe outlet 143 of the reaction tube 140.

An embodiment of an air sterilization and disinfection apparatus asshown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, may also comprise a housing 170 thatprotects the user from exposure to the UV radiation and has an inletopening 171 coupled to the air management chamber input 131 and outletopening 173 coupled to the air management chamber outlet 133.

Referring to FIG. 4, in this embodiment, an air sterilization anddisinfection apparatus 200 comprises an electronics and control module210, a fan 220, and an air management chamber 230. In this embodimentthe electronics and control module 210 regulates the electrical powerinput into the apparatus 200. The electronics and control module 210operates with conventionally available power sources and comprises acircuit breaker means, a processor means, and a voltage regulator means.The electronics and control module 220 is located outside of the airflowpath through the air management chamber 230. The electronics and controlmodule 210 is electrically coupled to the fan 220 and the UV LEDs 250.The fan 220 shall be selected such as to provide an airflow rate withinthe range of 180 to 300 cu Ft/min. The fan 220 is electrically coupledto the electronics and control module 210. The fan 220 shall be quietand compact and have a dust particulate filter means 225 at the faninput 221. The fan output 223 is coupled to the air management chamberinput 231 using an airtight sealing means such as to prevent air leaks.The air management chamber 230 is comprised of a reaction tube 240 withan area of turbulent flow 260 and an array of UV LEDs 250. The reactiontube 240 has an inlet 241 coupled to the inlet 231 of the air managementchamber 230 using an airtight sealing means, and an outlet 243 coupledto the outlet 233 of the air management chamber 230. The reaction tube240 further locates the UV LEDs 250 in order to achieve the desired UVradiation flux density throughout the area of turbulent flow 260. The UVLEDs 250 are affixed to the reaction tube 240 via mated openings 247distributed along the wall of the reaction tube 240, the mated openings247 traversing from the external surface 249 to the internal surface 245of the reaction tube 240, such that the UV LEDs 250 do not impede theairflow required yet permit any necessary wiring and cooling. Thereaction tube 240 is further designed such as to modulate the airflowwithin the tube in order to achieve the desired dwell time by creatingan area turbulent flow 260. The reaction tube 240 and air managementchamber 230 comprise such sealing means as to prevent the escape of anyUV radiation. The materials for the reaction tube 240 are chosen such asto maximize the UV reflectivity of the internal surfaces 245 in order tomaintain the highest possible radiant flux. An embodiment of theapparatus such as that shown in FIG. 4 may include a reaction tube 240where the internal surface 245 is polished aluminum.

Referring to FIG. 5, a flow chart is shown illustrating a method 500 ofair sterilization and disinfection for an embodiment of the presentinvention. The method 500 can include the step 512 of exposing airbornepathogens to UV radiation, at a wavelength known to traverse thecellular walls, for greater than one second. More specifically, themethod 500 can draw ambient air through a preliminary particulate filterinto an air management chamber with enough convective air exchange tomobilize latent pathogens at step 502, direct the air flow into one or aplurality of reaction tubes within the air management chamber at step504, expose the air flow to UV radiation at step 506, reflect the UVradiation within the reaction tubes at step 508, increase the exposuretime of the air to the UV radiation by creating a turbulent flow at step510, expose the air flow to UV radiation, at a wavelength known totraverse the cellular walls, for greater than one second at step 512,monitor the UV levels in the air management chamber at step 514,determine if the irradiance level in the air management chamber isadequate for the desired pathogen kill rate at step 516, indicate to theuser that the apparatus is or is not working at step 518, expose the airflow to copper or copper alloy surfaces at step 520, direct the airflowthrough a HEPA filter at step 522, direct the airflow through a silverion plus citric acid infused material at step 524, and expel clean,sanitized air back into the surrounding environment in step 526.

In light of the foregoing description, it should be recognized thatembodiments in accordance with the present invention can be realized innumerous configurations contemplated to be within the scope and spiritof the claims. Additionally, the description above is intended by way ofexample only and is not intended to limit the present invention in anyway, except as set forth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for sterilizing and disinfectingair, the apparatus comprising: an air management chamber that creates aturbulent flow such that airborne pathogens are exposed to a dosage ofUV radiation sufficient to penetrate and kill the pathogens, comprising:an inlet; an outlet; and one or more reaction tubes; a means forcreating a convective air exchange in a room to mobilize latentpathogens and directing the convective air exchange into the inlet ofthe air management chamber; a sensor means for monitoring the irradiancelevel in each reaction tube; a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA)filter located at the outlet of the air management chamber; a filterimpregnated with silver ions and citric acid located at the outlet ofthe air management chamber; an electronics and control module locatedoutside of the airflow path; an externally visible indicator means totell the user that the apparatus is working; and an external housingthat surrounds the apparatus.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein theair management chamber is comprised of one or more reaction tubesaxially disposed within the air management chamber, wherein eachreaction tube is comprised of an inlet, an outlet, an inner surface, anouter surface, and a wall bounded by the inner surface and the outersurface, and is coupled to the inlet of the air management chamber by anairtight sealing means in order to receive the airflow.
 3. The reactiontube of claim 2, wherein the inner surface of the reaction tube ispolished aluminum.
 4. The reaction tube of claim 2, the reaction tubefurther comprising one or a plurality of v-gutters, wherein thev-gutters are fixedly attached to the inner surface of the reactiontube, are located in the path of the airflow so as to ensure contactwith the airborne pathogens, and are made of naturally antimicrobial andgermicidal materials chosen from the group consisting of polishedaluminum, copper, and copper alloys.
 5. The reaction tube of claim 2,the reaction tube further comprising a means for sensing radiationlevels inside of the reaction tube and transmitting the sensed radiationlevels in the form of an electronic signal, the sensing means fixedlyattached to mated openings in the wall of the reaction tube andelectrically connected to the electronics and control module.
 6. Thereaction tube of claim 2, wherein a plurality of UV LEDs areelectrically connected to the electronics and control module and arefixedly attached to mated openings longitudinally disposed in the wallof the reaction tube such that the UV LEDs irradiate the inner surfaceof the reaction tube but do not impede the air flow through the reactiontube.
 7. The UV LEDs of claim 6, wherein the wavelength of the UV lightemitted by the LED is less than 320 nm.
 8. The UV LEDs of claim 6,wherein the UV LEDs are arranged in an array that is mounted on flexiblecircuit boards.
 9. The UV LEDs of claim 6, wherein the array of UV LEDsare of different wavelengths in order to kill different pathogens thatmay not share the same cell wall UV transmissivity characteristics. 10.The reaction tube of claim 6, wherein the inner surface of the reactiontube modulates the airflow being irradiated by the UV LEDs by creating aturbulent flow in order to expose the airborne pathogens to the UVradiation for greater than one second before exiting the reaction tubeoutlet.
 11. The reaction tube of claim 10, wherein the turbulent flow iscreated by an area of sudden expansion located longitudinally along thelength of the tube occurring between the inlet and the UV LEDs.
 12. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for creating an airflow into theinlet of the air management chamber is a fan electrically connected tothe electronics and control module with an inlet and an outlet, theoutlet coupled to the inlet of the air management chamber by an airtightsealing means, the fan capable of producing an air flow rate into theair management chamber between 180 and 300 cu Ft/min.
 13. The apparatusof claim 1, wherein the means for creating an airflow into the inlet ofthe air management chamber is comprised of: a fan or a plurality offans; and a manifold with an inlet or plurality of inlets and aplurality of outlets; the fan or plurality of fans electricallyconnected to the electronics and control module, each fan with an inletand an outlet, the outlet coupled by an airtight sealing means to aninlet on the manifold and each outlet of the manifold coupled by anairtight sealing means to the inlet of each reaction tube, the pluralityof fans, combined, capable of producing an air flow rate between 180 and300 cu Ft/min.
 14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronics andcontrol module is comprised of a means for regulating the electricalpower input into the apparatus.
 15. The electronics and control moduleof claim 14, further comprising a means for receiving an input signaland generating an output signal to an externally visible indicator. 16.The electronics and control module of claim 14, further comprising acircuit breaker means for sensing an over-current or circuit faultcondition.
 17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing forms theouter surfaces of the apparatus and comprises an inlet coupled to theinlet of the means for creating an airflow into the apparatus, an outletcoupled to the outlet of the air management chamber, and a means for auser to interface with the electronics and control module.
 18. Thehousing of claim 17, further comprising a means for accessing andreplacing any one or multiple filters, said filters selected from thegroup consisting of a particulate filter, a HEPA filter, and a silverion plus citric acid infused filter.
 19. The housing of claim 17,wherein the means for a user to interface with the electronics andcontrol module comprises: a means for powering on and off the apparatus;a means for indicating to the user that the apparatus is detectingradiation in the reaction tube; and a means for indicating to the userif any of the filters need to be replaced.
 20. The means for a user tointerface with the electronics and control module of claim 19, whereinthe means comprises indicator lights fixedly attached to mated openingsin the housing and electrically coupled to the electronics and controlmodule.